Data structures for supporting packet data modification operations

ABSTRACT

A processor readable medium storing a data structure for supporting one or more packet modification operations is provided. The data structure has a pointer to a sequence of one or more commands stored in a first memory area and implementing one or more packet modification operations. The data structure also has a pointer to a burst of one or more data or mask items stored in a second memory area for use by the one or more commands. A method of performing one or more packet modification operations on a packet is also provided. This packet is associated with a data structure link. In this method, a data structure corresponding to the data structure link is retrieved. This data structure has the format described above. A packet modification system utilizing a data structure having this format is also provided.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of packet processing, and more specifically, packet modification.

RELATED ART

Prior approaches for modifying packet data are generally implemented through dedicated hardware, and allow for only limited and fixed categories of modifications such as the insertion or deletion of a VLAN, the replacement of a MAC Destination Address/Source Address (DA/SA), the decrementing of the Time To Live (TTL) field, or the incrementing of the TC field. For example, in one approach, VLAN insertion/deletion is performed in the MAC by a dedicated serial shift register and a hard coded state machine, and MAC DA/SA replacement and TTL decrementing is performed by a dedicated multi-plexor. Because these approaches are all “hard-coded,” they are inflexible and cannot easily accommodate the diverse types of packet modification operations required in current packet switching environments.

Moreover, the data structures used to support these “hard-coded” operations are insufficiently flexible to handle the diverse types of packets or packet modification operations required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A processor readable medium storing a data structure for supporting one or more packet modification operations is provided. The data structure has a pointer to a sequence of one or more commands implementing one or more packet modification operations. These commands are stored in a first memory area. The data structure also has a pointer to a burst of one or more data or mask items for use by the one or more commands. These one or more data or mask items are stored in a second memory area distinct from the first.

A method of performing one or more packet modification operations on a packet while located within a first portion of a switch is also provided. This packet includes a data structure index previously added while the packet was located in a second portion of the switch.

In this method, a data structure corresponding to the data structure index is retrieved from a memory. This data structure has a pointer to a sequence of one or more commands implementing one or more packet modification operations. These one or more commands are stored in a first memory area. This data structure also has a pointer to a burst of one or more data or mask items for use by the one or more commands. These one or more data or mask items are stored in a second memory area distinct from the first.

The one or more commands are retrieved from the first memory area. Also, the one or more data or mask items for use by the one or more commands are retrieved from the second memory area. These one or more commands are executed, thereby performing one or more packet modification operations on the packet.

Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention or combinations of the foregoing will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, advantages and combinations be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a packet processing system which comprises a receive-side packet classification system and a transmit-side packet modification system.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the format of a packet header as produced by an embodiment of a packet classification system in a packet processing system.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a receive-side packet classification system.

FIGS. 4A-4B is a block diagram of an embodiment of a transmit-side packet modification system.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a cascade of multiple packet processing systems.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an embodiment of method of processing a packet which comprises multiple parsing steps.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of performing egress mirroring of a packet.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of performing egress marking of a packet.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of resolving a plurality of quality of service (QoS) indicators for a packet utilizing a configurable priority resolution scheme.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of classifying a packet in which sliced packet data is provided to a packet classification engine over a wide data path.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of modifying a packet in which sliced packet data is provided to a packet modification engine over a wide data path.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of controlling packet classification processing of a packet through first and second stacks.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of maintaining packet statistics which involves allocating a packet size determiner to a packet from a pool of packet size determiners.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of classifying a packet which involves buffering the packet in a buffer upon or after ingress thereof, and associating packet classification data with the packet as retrieved directly from the buffer to form a classified packet on an egress data path.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of modifying a packet which involves buffering the packet in a buffer upon or after ingress thereof, and assembling a packet on an egress data path from one or more modified portions of the packet, and one or more unmodified portions as retrieved directly from the buffer.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of performing classification processing of a packet in a cascaded combination of multiple, replicated packet classification systems.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of preventing re-ordering of packets in a packet processing system.

FIG. 18 illustrates one embodiment of a pipelined processor core of the modification engine.

FIG. 19 illustrates one example of the format of an external link entry.

FIG. 20 illustrates one example of the format of an internal link entry.

FIGS. 21A-21B illustrate examples of the format of a data entry.

FIG. 22 illustrates one example of the format of a recipe entry.

FIG. 23 illustrates one example of the format of a recipe command.

FIG. 24 illustrates an example of context pointers as might be produced by the parser.

FIG. 25 illustrates one example of a recipe command instruction set.

FIGS. 26-29 is pseudo-code illustrating operation of various commands or macros in the instruction set of FIG. 25.

FIG. 30 illustrates one example of the format of an ACL command.

FIG. 31 illustrates one example of the format of an EMC command.

FIG. 32 illustrates one example of the exception conditions generated by the modification processor.

FIG. 33 illustrates the shifting and masking operations that underlie one example of a packet insertion operation.

FIG. 34 illustrates one example of a command sequence for performing a MAC Header Replacement operation.

FIGS. 35-45 illustrate examples of commands for performing various packet modification operations.

FIG. 46 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method of performing a packet modification operation.

FIG. 47 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a processor readable medium storing one or more commands within and conforming to the command instruction set for a packet data modification processor.

FIG. 48 is a diagram illustrating a nested packet in which a packet forms the payload portion of another packet.

FIG. 49 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a processor readable medium storing a data structure for supporting one or more packet modification operations.

FIG. 50 is a block diagram illustrating an implementation example of the embodiment of the processor readable medium illustrated in FIG. 49.

FIG. 51 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of performing one or more modification operations on a packet while located in a first portion of a switch.

FIG. 52 is an example environment of the method of FIG. 51.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The following applications are commonly owned by the assignee hereof, are being filed on even date herewith, Mar. 30, 2004, and are each incorporated by reference herein as though set forth in full:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. Title 10/814,725, now U.S. Pat. No. PACKET PROCESSING 7,292,591 SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND METHOD 10/814,552, now U.S. Pat. No. PACKET PROCESSING 7,385,984 SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND METHOD 10/814,556 PACKET DATA MODIFICATION PROCESSOR 10/814,728, now U.S. Pat. No. SYSTEM AND METHOD 7,539,750 FOR PACKET PROCESSOR STATUS MONITORING 10/814,545, now U.S. Pat. No. METHOD AND SYSTEM 7,453,874 FOR INCREMENTALLY UPDATING A CHECKSUM IN A NETWORK DATA PACKET 10/814,729 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EGRESS PACKET MARKING 10/813,731, now U.S. Pat. No. SYSTEM AND METHOD 7,304,996 FOR ASSEMBLING A DATA PACKET 60/558,039 RECEIVE-SIDE PACKET PROCESSING SYSTEM

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As utilized herein, terms such as “about” and “substantially” and “near” are intended to allow some leeway in mathematical exactness to account for tolerances that are acceptable in the trade. Accordingly, any deviations upward or downward from the value modified by the terms “about” or “substantially” or “near” in the range of 1% to 20% or less should be considered to be explicitly within the scope of the stated value.

As used herein, the terms “software” or “instructions” or commands” include source code, assembly language code, binary code, firmware, macro-instructions, micro-instructions, or the like, or any combination of two or more of the foregoing.

The term “memory” refers to any processor-readable physical or logical medium, including but not limited to RAM, ROM, EPROM, PROM, EEPROM, disk, floppy disk, hard disk, CD-ROM, DVD, queue, FIFO or the like, or any combination of two or more of the foregoing, on which may be stored one or more instructions or commands executable by a processor, data, or packets in whole or in part.

The terms “processor” or “CPU” or “engine” refer to any device capable of executing one or more commands or instructions and includes, without limitation, a general- or special-purpose microprocessor, finite state machine, controller, computer, digital signal processor (DSP), or the like.

The term “logic” refers to implementations in hardware, software, or combinations of hardware and software.

The term “stack” may be implemented through a first-in-first-out memory such as a FIFO.

The term “packet” means (1) a group of binary digits including data and control elements which is switched and transmitted as a composite whole, wherein the data and control elements and possibly error control information are arranged in a specified format; (2) a block of information that is transmitted within a single transfer operation; (3) a collection of symbols that contains addressing information and possibly error detection or correction information; (4) a sequence of characters with a specific order and format, such as destination followed by a payload; (5) a grouping of data of some finite size that is transmitted as a unit; (6) a frame; (7) the logical organization of control and data fields defined for any of the layers or sub-layers of an applicable reference model, including the OSI or TCP/IP reference models, e.g., MAC sub-layer; or (8) a unit of transmission for any of the layers or sub-layers of an applicable reference model, including the OSI or TCP/IP reference models.

The term “layer two of the OSI reference model” includes the MAC sub-layer.

The term “port” or “channel” refers to any point of ingress or egress to or from a switch or other entity, including any port channel or sub-channel, or any channel or sub-channel of a bus coupled to the port.

Example Environment

This section describes an example environment for the subject invention. Many other examples are possible, so nothing in this description should be taken as limiting.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment 100 of a packet processing system comprising a packet classification system 102 and a packet modification system 104. The packet classification system 102 has an ingress portion 106 and an egress portion 108. Similarly, the packet modification system 104 has an ingress portion 110 and an egress portion 112. The ingress portion 106 of the packet classification system 102 is coupled, through interface 118, to one or more network-side devices 114, and the egress portion 108 of the packet classification system 102 is coupled, through interface 120, to one or more switch-side devices 116. The ingress portion 110 of the packet modification system 104 is coupled, through interface 122, to the one or more switch-side devices 116, and the egress portion 124 of the packet modification system 104 is coupled, through interface 112, to the one or more network-side devices 114.

The packet classification system 102 comprises an ingress portion 106, a first packet parser 126 for parsing a packet and providing first data representative thereof, and a packet classification engine 128 for classifying the packet responsive to the first data. The packet modification system 104 comprises a second packet parser 130 for parsing the classified packet (after a round trip through the one or more switch-side devices 116) or a packet derived there-from and providing second data representative thereof, a packet modification engine 132 for modifying some or all of the packet responsive to the second data, a third packet parser 134 for parsing the modified packet and providing third data representative thereof, and a packet post-processor 136 for post-processing the modified packet responsive to the third data.

In one embodiment, the packet undergoing processing by the system has a plurality of encapsulated layers, and each of the first, second and third parsers 126, 130, 134 is configured to parse the packet by providing context pointers pointing to the start of one or more of the encapsulated layers. In a second embodiment, the packet undergoing processing by the system comprises a first packet forming the payload portion of a second packet, each of the first and second packets having a plurality of encapsulated layers, and each of the first, second and third parsers 126, 130, 134 is configured to parse the packet by providing context pointers pointing to the start of one or more of the encapsulated layers of the first packet and one or more of the encapsulated layers of the second packet.

In one implementation, the packet post-processor 136 is configured to compute a checksum for a modified packet responsive to the third data provided by parser 134. In one embodiment, the packet post-processor 136 is configured to independently calculate a layer three (IP) and layer four (TCP/UDP) checksum.

In one embodiment, packet post-processor 136 comprises Egress Access Control List (ACL) logic 136 a and Packet Marking logic 136 b. The Egress ACL logic 136 a is configured to arrive at an ACL decision with respect to a packet. In one implementation, four ACL decisions can be independently performed: 1) default ACL action; 2) CPU copy; 3) minor copy; and 4) kill. The default ACL action may be set to kill or allow. The CPU copy action forwards a copy of the packet to a host 138 coupled to the system. The mirror copy action implements an egress mirroring function (to be discussed in more detail later), in which a copy of the packet is forwarded to mirror FIFO 140 and then on to the egress portion 108 of the packet classification system 102. The kill action either kills the packet or marks it for killing by a downstream Medium Access Control (MAC) processor.

The Packet Marking logic 136 b is configured to implement a packet egress marking function in which certain packet marking control information for a packet generated by the packet classification system 102 is used to selectively modify one or more quality of service (QoS) fields in the packet.

In one embodiment, Content Addressable Memory (CAM) 142 is used by the packet classification system 102 to perform packet searches to arrive at a classification decision for a packet. In one implementation, the CAM searches are ternary in that all entries of the CAM have a data and mask field allowing don't care setting of any bit position in the data field. In another implementation, the CAM searches are binary, or combinations of binary and ternary.

The associated RAM (ARAM) 144 provides associated data for each entry in the CAM 142. The ARAM 144 is accessed using the match address returned by the CAM 142 as a result of a search operation. The ARAM 144 entry data is used to supply intermediate classification information for the packet that is used by the classification engine 128 in making a final classification decision for the packet.

The statistics RAM 146 is used to maintain various packet statistics, including, for each CAM entry, the cumulative number and size of packets which hit or matched that entry.

The modification RAM 148 provides data and control structures for packet modification operations performed by the modification engine 132.

In one implementation, the interfaces 150, 152, 154, and 156 with any of the RAMs or CAMs may be a QDR- or DDR-type interface as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/655,742, filed Sep. 4, 2003, which is hereby fully incorporated by reference herein as though set forth in full.

FIG. 2 illustrates the format of classification data 200 for a packet as produced by one embodiment of packet classification system 102. The classification data 200 in this embodiment has first and second portions, identified respectively with numerals 202 and 204. The first portion 202 is a 64 bit Address Filtering Header (AFH) which is pre-pended to the packet. The second portion 204 is a 20 bit grouping of flags which are encoded as control bits maintained by the system 100.

In one embodiment, the Port Tag Index (PTI) field is an identifier of the port or list of ports within interface 118 over which the packet will be sent by the packet modification engine. (The assumption in this embodiment is that the interface 118 is a multi-port interface).

The Egress Quality of Service (EQoS) field may be used to perform an egress queue selection function in a device encountering the packet. In one embodiment, this field also encodes one of the following functions: nothing, pre-emptive kill, normal kill, thermonuclear' kill, egress mirror copy, pre-emptive intercept to host, and normal intercept to host.

The Link Aggregation Index (LAI) field may be used to implement physical link selection, ingress alias, echo kill alias, or equal cost multi-path functions in a device encountering the packet.

The JUMBO flag, if asserted, directs a device encountering the packet to perform a JUMBO-allowed check. In one embodiment, the flag is used to implement the policy that the only valid JUMBO packets are IP packets. Therefore, if the packet is a non-IP JUMBO packet, the device either sends it to a host, fragments it, or kills it.

The DON'T FRAG flag, if asserted, directs a device encountering the packet not to fragment it in the course of implementing a JUMBO-allowed check.

The IF TYPE flag indicates whether the ingress interface over which the packet was received is an Ethernet or Packet Over Sonet (POS) interface.

The ROUTE flag, if asserted, indicates that the packet is being bridged not routed, and may be used by devices encountering the packet to implement an echo kill suppress function.

The RANDOM EARLY DROP (RED) flag may be used to implement a random early drop function in devices encountering the packet.

The CTL flag indicates the format of the AFH. FIG. 2 illustrates the format of the header for packets exiting the packet classification system 102 and destined for the one or more switch-side devices 116. Another format applies for packets exiting the one or more switch-side devices 116 and destined for the packet modification system 104. The CTL flag indicates which of these two formats is applicable.

The Transmit Modification Index (TXMI) field is used by the modification engine 132 to retrieve control and data structures from Modification RAM 148 for use in performing any necessary modifications to the packet.

The CPU Quality of Service (CQoS) field may be used to perform an ingress queue select function in a host coupled to the packet processing system.

In one embodiment, the CPU Copy flag, if asserted, directs one or more of the switch-side devices 116 to forward a copy of the packet to a host coupled to the packet processing system. In another embodiment, the CPU Copy flag, if asserted, directs a copy of a packet to be forwarded to the host through a host bus or another PBUS.

The Redirect flag, if asserted, directs one or more of the switch-side devices 116 to forward a copy of the packet to the host for redirect processing. In redirect processing, the host receives the packet copy and redirects it to the sender, with an indication that the sender should switch the packet, not route it.

The Statistical Sample (SSAMPLE) flag, if asserted, indicates to one or more of the switch-side devices 116 that the packet is a candidate for statistical sampling. If the packet is ultimately selected for statistical sampling, a copy of the packet is directed to the host, which performs a statistical analysis of the packet for the purpose of accurately characterizing the network traffic of which the packet is a part.

The LEARN flag, if asserted, directs one or more of the switch-side devices 116 to forward a copy of the packet to the host so the host can perform learn processing. In learn processing, the host analyzes the packet to “learn” the sender's MAC address for future packet switching of packets to that address.

The Egress Mirror (EMIRROR) flag, if asserted, implements egress mirroring by directing one or more of the switch-side devices 116 to send a copy of the packet to mirror FIFO 140. From mirror FIFO 140, the packet passes through the egress portion 108 of the packet classification system 102 en route to the one or more switch-side devices 116.

The Ingress Quality of Service (IQoS) field may be used to perform an ingress queue selection function in a device encountering the packet.

The Egress Mark Select (EMRK SEL) field selects one of several possible egress mark functions. The Egress Mask (EMRK MASK) field selects one of several possible egress masks. Together, the EMRK SEL and EMRK MASK fields forms an embodiment of packet egress marking control information which may be used by packet marking logic 136 b to mark the packet, i.e., selectively modify one or more QoS fields within the packet.

The Ingress Mirror (IMIRROR) flag, if asserted, directs one or more of the switch-side devices 116 to forward a copy of the packet to the designated ingress mirror port on the switch.

The Parity Error Kill (PERR KILL) flag, if asserted, directs the interface 120 to kill the packet due to detection of an ARAM parity error.

In one embodiment, the EMIRROR bit is normally in an unasserted state. If the packet classification system 102, after analyzing the packet, determines that egress mirroring of the packet is appropriate, the packet classification system 102 changes the state of the EMIRROR bit to place it in the asserted state.

The packet, along with a pre-pended AFH containing the EMIRROR bit, is then forwarded to the one or more switch-side devices 116. After processing the packet, the one or more devices transmit the packet, with the EMIRROR bit preserved in a pre-pended packet header, back to the packet modification system 104 over interface 122. In response, the packet modification system 104 is configured to detect the state of the EMIRROR bit to determine if egress mirroring of the modified packet is activated, and if so, provide a copy of the modified packet to the egress portion 108 of the packet classification system 102 through the mirror FIFO 140.

In one embodiment, the EQoS, CQoS, IQoS, EMRK SEL and EMRK MASK fields define a multi-dimensional quality of service indicator for the packet. In this embodiment, the EMRK SEL and EMRK MASK fields form packet egress marking control information which is utilized by packet modification system 104 to selectively modify one or more quality of service fields within the packet, or a packet derived there-from.

The quality of service indicator for a packet may be derived from a plurality of candidate quality of service indicators derived from diverse sources. In one embodiment, a plurality of candidate quality of service indicators are derived for a packet, each with an assigned priority, and a configurable priority resolution scheme is utilized to select one of the plurality of quality of service indicators for assigning to the packet. In one embodiment, one or more of the candidate quality of service indicators, and associated priorities, are derived by mapping one or more fields of, the packet into one or more candidate quality of service indicators for the packet and associated priorities. In a second embodiment, one or more searches are conducted to obtain one or more candidate quality of service indicators for the packet and associated priorities. In a third embodiment, a combination of these two approaches is utilized.

In one example, candidate quality of service indicators, and associated priorities, are derived from three sources. The first is a VLAN mapping scheme in which a VLAN from the packet is mapped into a candidate quality of service indicator and associated priority using a VLAN state table (VST). The VLAN from the packet may represent a subnet or traffic type, and the associated priority may vary based on the subnet or traffic type. The second is a CAM-based search which yields an associated ARAM entry which in turn yields a candidate quality of service indicator. A field of an entry in a Sequence Control Table (SCT) RAM, which provides the sequence of commands controlling the operation of one embodiment of the packet classification engine 102, provides the associated priority. The third is a QoS mapping scheme, which operates in one of three modes, as determined by a field in a SCT RAM entry.

In the first mode, the 0.1p mapping mode, the VST provides the four QSEGment bits. The QSEG and the 0.1p bits are mapped into a candidate quality of service indicator, and the VLAN itself is mapped into an associated priority using the VST. In the second mode, the MPLS mapping mode, the EXP/QOS fields from the packet are mapped into a candidate quality of service indicator, and a VLAN from the packet is mapped into the associated priority using the VST. In the third mode, the ToS mapping mode, the IPv4ToS, IPv6 Traffic Class, or Ipv6 Flow Label based QoS fields are mapped into a candidate quality of service indicator, and a VLAN from the packet is mapped into an associated priority using the VST.

In this example, the candidate quality of service indicator with the highest priority is assigned to the packet. Moreover, a candidate from one of the sources can be established as the default, which may be overridden by a candidate obtained from one of the other sources, at least a candidate which has a higher priority than the default selection. For example, the candidate quality of service indicator resulting from the 0.1p mapping mode can be established as the default selection, and this default overridden only by a candidate quality of service indicator resulting from an ARAM entry in turn resulting from a CAM-based search.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment 300 of a packet classification system. In this embodiment, the packet classification system is coupled to one or more network-side devices through a multi-port packet bus (PBUS) 302, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/405,960 and 10/405,961, filed Apr. 1, 2003, which are both hereby fully incorporated herein by reference. PBUS ingress logic 304 is configured to detect a start of packet (SOP) condition for packets arriving at the packet classification system over the PBUS.

Upon or after detection of the SOP condition, the packet, or a portion thereof, is stored in slicer 306. Slicer 306 is configured to slice some or all of a packet into portions and provide the portions in parallel over first data path 308 having a first width to classification engine 310. In one embodiment, the slicer 306 is a FIFO which stores the first 128 bytes of a packet (or the entirety of the packet if less than 128 bytes), and provides the 1024 bits thereof in parallel to the packet classification engine 310 over the first data path 308.

Upon or after detection of the SOP condition, parser 312 parses the packet in the manner described previously, and stores the resultant context pointers (and other flags resulting from the parsing process) in parser result RAM 314. Concurrently with this parsing process, the packet is stored in buffer 318, which in one embodiment, is a FIFO buffer.

The packet classification engine 310 is configured to classify the packet responsive to the packet portions received over the first data path 308 and the parser results as stored in the parser result RAM 314, and store data representative of the packet classification in classification RAM 316. In one embodiment, the classification data is the AF header illustrated in FIG. 2.

An associator 320 is configured to associate the data representative of the packet classification with some or all of the packet, and provide the associated packet over a second data path 322 having a second width less than the first width.

The packet classification system is coupled to one or more switch-side devices over a multi-port PBUS 326, and PBUS egress logic 324 is configured to transmit the associated packet over the PBUS 326.

In one embodiment, slicer 306 comprises a plurality of memories configured to store some or all of the packet, and provide the portions thereof in parallel over the first data path 308 to the classification engine 310. In one example, the slicer 306 is configured as eight (8) memories configured to provide the first 1024 bits of the bits of the packet (or less if the packet is less than 128 bytes) in parallel over the first data path 308 to classification engine 310.

In one embodiment, the associator 320 comprises a multiplexor configured to multiplex onto the second data path 322 the data representative of the packet classification as stored in classification RAM 316 and some or all of the packet as stored in buffer 318. In one implementation, the multiplexor multiplexes the first 8 byte portion 202 of the AF data illustrated in FIG. 2 (which may be referred to as the AF header) onto the second data path followed by the packet as stored in buffer 318, thereby effectively pre-pending the AF header to the packet. In this implementation, control logic 328 controls the operation of the multiplexor through one or more signals provided over control data path 334.

More specifically, the multiplexor in this implementation is configured to select one of three inputs and output the selected input to the second data path 322 under the control of the control logic 328. The first input is the classification data as stored in classification RAM 316. The second input is the packet as stored in buffer 318. The third input is the output of the mirror FIFO 140. This third input is selected when the egress mirroring function, discussed previously, is activated.

In one embodiment, the control logic 328 is also configured to maintain first and second FIFO buffers, identified respectively with numerals 330 and 332, the first FIFO buffer 330 for identifying those packets which are awaiting classification by the packet classification system, and the second FIFO buffer 332 for identifying those packets which are undergoing classification by the classification system.

In this embodiment, the control logic 328 is configured to place an identifier of a packet on the first FIFO buffer 330 upon or after receipt of the packet by the packet classification system, pop the identifier off the first FIFO buffer 330 and place it on the second FIFO buffer 332 upon or after initiation of classification processing of the packet by the packet classification system, and pop the identifier off the second FIFO buffer 332 upon or after completion of classification processing of the packet by the packet classification system.

The control logic 328 is configured to prevent the packet classification system from outputting a packet onto PBUS 326 while an identifier of the same is placed on either the first or second FIFO buffers 330, 332, and allows the packet classification system to output the packet onto PBUS 326 upon or after the identifier of the packet has been popped off the second FIFO buffer 332. In one implementation, the control logic 328 prevents the associator 320 from outputting data on the second data path 322 through one or more signals provided over control data path 334. In one implementation, the control logic 328 is a state machine.

In one embodiment, the control logic 328 forms the basis of a packet statistics maintaining system within the packet classification system. In this embodiment, the control logic 328 is configured to maintain a pool of packet size determiners, and allocate a packet size determiner to a packet from the pool upon or after receipt thereof by the packet classification system.

In one implementation, the control logic 328 allocates a packet size determiner to a packet upon or after the PBUS ingress logic 304 signals a SOP condition for the packet. The packet size determiner is configured to determine the size of the packet, and the control logic 328 is configured to return the packet size determiner to the pool upon or after the same has determined the size of the packet. In one implementation example, the packet size determiners are counters.

Statistics RAM 330 in this embodiment maintains packet statistics, and statistics update logic 336 is configured to update the packet statistics responsive to the determined size of the packet. In one implementation, the statistics update logic 336 includes a queue for queuing statistics update requests issued by the control logic 328.

In one configuration, the packet statistics maintaining system is configured to maintain packet statistics indicating the cumulative size of packets which have met specified processing conditions or hits, and the statistics update logic 336, upon or after a packet size determiner has determined the size of a packet, is configured to increment a cumulative size statistic for a particular processing condition or hit by the determined size of the packet if the packet satisfies that particular processing condition or hit. In one example, the system maintains statistics indicating the cumulative size and number of packets which have resulted in each of a plurality of ternary CAM 142 hits.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate an embodiment 400 of a packet modification system having PBUS ingress logic 404 which is coupled to one or more switch-side devices through PBUS 402. In this embodiment, the packets are received over the PBUS channels in bursts. The PBUS ingress logic 404 is configured to monitor the PBUS channels in a round robin fashion. When the PBUS ingress logic 404 detects a SOP condition on one of the channels, the Transmit Modification Index (TXMI) is extracted from the AF header of the packet, and it, along with the length of the initial packet burst, and an end of packet (EOP) marker if the packet length is less than or equal to the burst length, is placed on Transmit In Control FIFO 406. The packet or packet burst is stored in Transmit In Data FIFO 428, and a pointer to the start of the packet or packet burst (SOP pointer) is stored in Transmit Engine FIFO 408, along with an identifier of the PBUS channel over which the packet or packet burst was received. In one implementation, the packet bursts are 128 bytes in length.

Transmit In Data FIFO 428 stores the packet data such that portions of the packet can be passed in parallel over a first data path 402 having a first width to a modification engine 422. In one implementation, the Transmit In Data FIFO 428 comprises a plurality of FIFOs, with the outputs of the FIFOs coupled in parallel to the modification engine 422 and collectively forming the first data path 402. Incoming packet or packet bursts are copied into each of the plurality of FIFOs, thereby providing the modification engine with sliced portions of the packets or packet bursts in parallel.

The incoming packets or packet bursts are also input to the second packet parser 424, which parses the packets or packet bursts in the manner described previously. The context pointers and status bits resulting from the parsing process are stored in parser result RAM 426.

The Transmit Command Sequencer 410 is configured to read a SOP pointer and channel from the Transmit Engine FIFO 408, and utilize this information to locate the packet or packet bursts in the Transmit In Control FIFO 406. The Transmit Modification Index (TXMI) within the AF header of this packet or packet burst is then located and used to access a TXMI link in External Transmit SRAM 412, an SRAM located off-chip in relation to modification engine 422. The TXMI link may either be 1) an internal recipe link to a recipe of modification commands stored in Internal Recipe RAM 414, an on-chip RAM in relation to modification engine 422, and related data structures stored in External Transmit SRAM 412, or 2) an external recipe link to a recipe of modification commands stored in External Transmit SRAM 412 and related data structures also stored in External Transmit SRAM 412.

The sequencer 410 also assigns a sequence number to the packet to prevent packet re-ordering. It then directs the Transmit RAM arbiter 416 to read the recipe of modification commands stored in the External Transmit SRAM 412 (assuming the TXMI link is an external recipe link) or Internal Recipe RAM 414 (assuming the TXMI link is an internal recipe link) and store the same in Recipe RAM 418, an on-chip RAM in relation to modification engine 422. It further directs the arbiter 416 to read the data structures associated with the specified internal or external recipe command sequence, and store the same in Data RAM 420, another on-chip RAM in relation to modification engine 422.

The sequencer 410 then awaits an available slot in the pipeline of the modification engine 422. When such is available, the sequencer 410 passes to the engine 422 for placement in the slot a pointer to the recipe as stored in Recipe RAM 418 and other related information.

The sequencer 410 assigns a fragment buffer to the packet. The fragment buffer is a buffer within a plurality of fragment buffers which collectively may be referred to as TX transmit work buffer 436. The modification engine then executes the recipe for the packet or packet burst, through one or more passes through the modification engine pipeline. In one embodiment, the recipe comprises one or more entries, and one or more passes through the pipeline are performed to execute each entry of the recipe.

In the process of executing the recipe, the modification engine 422 stores the modified fragments of the packet in the fragment buffer allocated to the packet in TX transmit work buffer 436. At the same time, the modification engine 422 stores, in ascending order in fragment format RAM 438, pointers to the modified fragments of the packet as stored in the fragment buffer and pointers to the unmodified fragments of the packet as stored in Transmit In Data FIFO 428.

When all the recipe entries have been executed, the modification engine 422 writes an entry to the fragment CAM 440, the entry comprising the PBUS channel over which the packet was received, the sequence number for the packet, the SOP pointer to the packet (as stored in the Transmit In Data FIFO 428), a packet to be killed flag, a packet offset in the Transmit In Data FIFO 428, and the total length of the list of fragments as stored in the fragment format RAM 438. This completes the processing of the packet by the modification engine 422.

Fragment/burst processor 442 assembles the packets for ultimate egress from the system. To prevent packet re-ordering, the fragment/burst processor 442 processes, for each PBUS channel, the packets in the order in which they were received by the modification system 400. More specifically, the fragment/burst processor 442 maintains an expected next sequence number for each PBUS channel, and then performs, in round robin fashion, CAM searches in fragment CAM 440 for an entry bearing the expected next sequence number for the channel. If an entry is found with that sequence number, the fragment/burst processor 442 processes it. If such an entry is not found, the fragment/burst processor 442 takes no action with respect to the channel at that time, and proceeds to process the next channel.

When a fragment CAM entry with the expected next sequence number is located, the fragment/burst processor 442 directs assembler 446 to assemble the packet responsive to the fragment list for the packet as stored in the fragment format RAM 438. In one embodiment, the assembler 446 is a multiplexor, which is directed to multiplex between outputting on second data path 444, responsive to the fragment list, the modified packet fragments as stored in the TX work buffer 436 and the unmodified packet fragments as stored in the Transmit In Data FIFO 428 (as provided to the multiplexor 446 over data path 434). Through this process, the packet is assembled in ascending order on second data path 444. In one embodiment, the second data path 444 has a width less than the width of the first data path 402. In one implementation, the fragment/burst processor 442 outputs the packets over data path 444 in the form of bursts.

The assembled packet is parsed by the third packet parser 448 in the manner described previously. The resultant context pointers and status flags are then passed, along with the packet, for concurrent processing by Transmit Processor Block 452 and Transmit ACL Logic 454.

The Transmit Processor Block 452 performs two main functions. First, it performs egress mark processing by selectively modifying one or more QoS fields in the packet responsive to the egress mark control information from the packet stored by the modification engine in Transmit Post Processor RAM 456. In one example, any of the VLAN VPRI, MPLS EXP, and IPv4/IPv6 TOS fields may be modified through this process utilizing the VPRI/EXP/IPToS RAMs 458 as appropriate. The egress mark control information may be derived from one or more egress mark commands specified by an AFH pre-pended to the packet, or from one or more egress mark commands within a recipe for the packet. Second, it performs OSI Layer 3/Layer 4 checksum calculation or modification.

The Transmit ACL logic 454 conducts a CAM search for the packet in Egress ACL CAM 460 to determine if the packet should be killed, a copy sent to the host, or mirrored to the egress mirror FIFO 140. The packet then exits the packet modification system 400 through the egress portion 462 of the system 400, and is output onto PBUS 464.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cascaded combination 500 of multiple, replicated packet systems, each of which is either a packet classification system or a packet modification system. In one embodiment, the cascaded combination comprises a first one 502 of the replicated packet systems having ingress and egress portions, identified respectively with numerals 504 and 506, and a second one 508 of the replicated packet systems having ingress and egress portions, identified respectively with numerals 510 and 512.

In this embodiment, the egress portion 506 of the first packet system 502 is coupled to the ingress portion 510 of the second packet system 508. Moreover, the first one 502 of the replicated packet systems is configured to perform partial processing of a packet, either classification or modification processing as the case may be, and the second one 508 of the replicated packet systems is configured to complete processing of the packet.

In one configuration, packet system 508 forms the last one of a plurality of systems in the cascaded combination, and packet system 502 forms either the first or the next to last one of the systems in the cascaded combination.

In one example, each of the replicated systems performs a limited number of processing cycles, and the number of replicated systems is chosen to increase the number of processing cycles to a desired level beyond that achievable with a single system.

In a second example, a complete set of processing functions or tasks is allocated amongst the replicated systems. In one configuration, a first replicated system is allocated ACL and QoS classification processing tasks, and a second replicated system is allocated PTI/TXMI classification processing tasks.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of one embodiment 600 of a method of processing a packet. In this embodiment, the method comprises step 602, parsing a packet and providing first data representative thereof, and step 604, classifying the packet responsive to the first data.

In step 606, the packet is forwarded to and received from switching fabric, which may perform additional processing of the packet. Step 608 comprises parsing the packet received from the switching fabric (which may be the packet forwarded to the switching fabric, or a packet derived there-from), and providing second data representative thereof.

Step 610 comprises modifying the packet responsive to the second data, and step 612 comprises parsing the modified packet and providing third data representative thereof. Step 614 comprises post-processing the modified packet responsive to the third data.

In one embodiment, the packet undergoing processing has a plurality of encapsulation layers, and each of the first, second and third parsing steps 602, 608, 612 comprising providing context pointers pointing to the start of one or more of the encapsulated layers of the packet.

In a second embodiment, the packet undergoing processing comprises a first packet forming the payload portion of a second packet, each of the first and second packets having a plurality of encapsulation layers, and each of the first, second and third parsing steps 602, 608, 612 comprises providing context pointers pointing to the start of one or more of the encapsulated layers of the first packet and one or more of the encapsulated layers of the second packet.

In one implementation, the post-processing step comprises computing a checksum for the modified packet. In a second implementation, the post-processing step comprises egress marking of the packet. In a third implementation, the post-processing step comprises the combination of the foregoing two implementations.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a second embodiment 700 of a method of processing a packet. In this embodiment, step 702 comprises analyzing a packet in a packet classification system and, responsive thereto, selectively changing the state of a control bit from a first state to a second state. Step 704 comprises forwarding the packet to and from switching fabric. Step 706 comprises modifying, in a packet modification system, the packet received from the switching fabric (either the packet forwarded to the switching fabric, or a packet derived there-from), detecting the control bit to determine if egress mirroring of the modified packet is activated, and if so, providing a copy of the modified packet to the packet classification system.

In one implementation, the control bit is associated with the packet received from the switching fabric. In one example, the control bit is in a packet header pre-pended to the packet received from the switching fabric.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a third embodiment 800 of a method of processing a packet. Step 802 comprises providing a multi-dimensional quality of service (QoS) indicator for a packet. Step 804 comprises forwarding the packet to and from switching fabric. Step 806 comprises egress marking of the packet received from the switching fabric (either the packet forwarded to the switching fabric, or a packet derived there-from), responsive to at least a portion of the multi-dimensional QoS indicator.

In one implementation, step 806 comprises selectively modifying one or more quality of service fields within the packet received from the switching fabric responsive to at least a portion of the multi-dimensional quality of service indicator.

In one configuration, the multi-dimensional quality of service indicator comprises an ingress quality of service indicator, an egress quality of service indicator, and packet marking control information, and step 806 comprises selectively modifying one or more quality of service fields within the packet received from the switching fabric responsive to the packet marking control information. In one example, the multi-dimensional quality of service indicator further comprises a host quality of service indicator.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises utilizing the ingress quality of service indicator as an ingress queue select. In a second embodiment, the method further comprises utilizing the egress quality of service indicator as an egress queue select. In a third embodiment, the method further comprises utilizing the host quality of service indicator as an ingress queue select for a host.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an embodiment 900 of assigning a quality of service indicator to a packet. In this embodiment, step 902 comprises providing a plurality of quality of service indicators for a packet, each with an assigned priority, and step 904 comprises utilizing a configurable priority resolution scheme to select one of the plurality of quality of service indicators for assigning to the packet.

In one implementation, step 902 comprises mapping one or more fields of the packet into a quality of service indicator for the packet and an associated priority. In a second implementation, step 902 comprises performing a search to obtain a quality of service indicator for the packet and an associated priority. A third implementation comprises a combination of the foregoing two implementations.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an embodiment 1000 of a method of classifying a packet. In this embodiment, step 1002 comprises slicing some or all of a packet into portions and providing the portions in parallel over a first data path having a first width to a classification engine. Step 1004 comprises classifying, in the packet classification engine, the packet responsive to the packet portions received over the first data path and providing data representative of the packet classification. Step 1006 comprises associating the data representative of the packet classification with the packet to form an associated packet, and providing the associated packet over a second data path having a second width less than the first width.

In one implementation, the step of providing the packet portions over the first data path comprises providing each of the bits of some or all of the packet in parallel over the first data path to the classification engine.

In a second implementation, the associating step comprises multiplexing the data representative of the packet classification and some or all of the packet onto the second data path.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an embodiment 1100 of a method of modifying a packet. Step 1102 comprises providing some or all of a packet as packet portions and providing the portions in parallel over a first data path having a first width to a modification engine. Step 1104 comprises modifying, in the modification engine, one or more of the packet portions. Step 1106 comprises assembling a packet from the one or more modified and one or more unmodified packet portions, and providing the assembled packet over a second data path having a second width less than the first width.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart 1200 of an embodiment of a method of classifying a packet. Step 1202 comprises placing an identifier of a packet on a first FIFO buffer. Step 1204 comprises popping the identifier off the first FIFO buffer and placing it on a second FIFO buffer upon or after initiation of classification processing of the packet. Step 1206 comprises avoiding outputting the packet while an identifier of the same is placed on either the first or second FIFO buffers. Step 1208 comprises outputting the packet upon or after the identifier of the packet has been popped off the second FIFO buffer.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment 1300 of a method of maintaining packet statistics. Step 1302 comprises allocating a packet size determiner to a packet from a pool of packet size determiners. Step 1304 comprises using the packet size determiner to determine the size of the packet. Step 1306 comprises updating one or more packet statistics responsive to the determined size of the packet. Step 1308 comprises returning the packet size determiner to the pool upon or after the same has determined the size of the packet.

In one implementation, the packet size determiner is a counter which counts the size of the packet. In a second implementation, the method further comprises queuing one or more statistics update requests.

In one implementation example, the one or more packet statistics indicate the cumulative size of packets which have met specified processing conditions or hits, and step 1306 comprises incrementing a cumulative size statistic for a particular processing condition or hit by the determined size of the packet if the packet meets that particular processing condition or hit.

FIG. 14 illustrates an embodiment 1400 of a method of classifying a packet. Step 1402 comprises buffering a packet in a buffer upon or after ingress thereof. Step 1404 comprises classifying the packet and providing data representative of the packet classification. Step 1406 comprises associating the data representative of the packet classification with some or all of the packet as directly retrieved from the buffer to form a packet on an egress data path.

In one implementation, step 1406 comprises multiplexing the data representative of the packet classification onto a data path followed by some or all of the packet as directly retrieved from the buffer.

FIG. 15 illustrates an embodiment 1500 of a method of modifying a packet. Step 1502 comprises buffering the packet in a buffer upon ingress thereof. Step 1504 comprises modifying one or more portions of the packet. Step 1506 comprises assembling the one or more modified portions of the packet with one or more unmodified portions of the packet as retrieved directly from the buffer to form an assembled packet on an egress data path.

In one implementation, the method comprises providing a list indicating which portions of the assembled packet are to comprise modified portions of an ingress packet, and which portions are to comprise unmodified portions of the ingress packet, and step 1506 comprises assembling the assembled packet responsive to the list.

FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiment 1600 of a method of processing a packet in a cascaded combination of multiple, replicated packet processing systems. In one implementation, each of systems is either a packet classification system or a packet modification system, and the processing which is performed by each system is either classification processing or modification processing as the case may be. Step 1602 comprises performing partial processing of a packet in a first of the replicated packet processing systems, and step 1604 comprises completing processing of the packet in a second of the replicated packet processing systems.

In one implementation, the second packet processing system is the last of a plurality of replicated packet processing systems, and the first packet processing system is either the first or next to last packet processing system in the plurality of packet processing systems, wherein partial processing of a packet is performed in the first replicated packet processing system, and processing is completed in the second replicated packet processing system.

FIG. 17 illustrates an embodiment 1700 of a method of preventing re-ordering of packets in a packet processing system. Step 1702 comprises assigning a sequence number to a packet upon or after ingress thereof to the system. Step 1704 comprises processing the packet. Step 1706 comprises storing data representative of the packet in a buffer. Step 1708 comprises checking the buffer for an entry matching an expected next sequence number. Inquiry step 1710 comprises determining if a match is present. If so, steps 1712 and 1714 are performed. Step 1712 comprises outputting the corresponding packet, and step 1714 comprises updating the expected next sequence number to reflect the outputting of the packet. If not, the method loops back to step 1708, thus deferring outputting a packet if a match is not present.

In one implementation, steps 1708-1714 comprise maintaining an expected next sequence number for each of a plurality of output channels, checking the buffer for a match for each of the channels, outputting the corresponding packet on a channel if a match for that channel is present and updating the expected next sequence number for that channel, and deferring outputting a packet on a channel if a match for that channel is not present.

Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

In one embodiment, the modification engine 422 illustrated in FIG. 4A comprises a programmable processor configured to perform one or more packet modifications. The programmable processor comprises a pipelined processor core configured to modify a packet through execution of one or more commands as retrieved from a first memory. In one embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 4A, the first memory is recipe RAM 418 containing commands staged from either external transmit SRAM 412 or internal recipe RAM 414.

FIG. 18 illustrates an embodiment 1800 of the pipelined processor core which comprises a first stage 1802 configured to selectively shift and mask data in each of a plurality of categories, including packet data and data as retrieved from a second memory, responsive to one or more decoded commands, and logically sum the selectively shifted and masked data in each of the categories. As illustrated, in this embodiment, the pipelined processor core comprises a second stage 1804 configured to selectively perform one or more operations on the logically summed data from the first stage, responsive to the one or more decoded commands. As illustrated, data from this second stage 1804 is stored in TX work buffer 436.

In one implementation, this data comprises a 64 bit data fragment, stored in TX work buffer 436, that will form part of an egress packet. The fragment is typically one of many fragments formed by the processor. The modified ones of these fragments are stored in the TX work buffer 436. The unmodified ones of these fragments are stored in Transmit In Data FIFO 428. The processor in this embodiment produces an ordered set of instructions for assembling the egress packet from these fragments.

In one embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 18, the pipelined processor core 1800 further comprises a command fetch stage 1806, a command decode stage 1808, and an address and mask generation stage 1810. In this embodiment, the command fetch stage 1806 is configured to fetch the one or more commands from the first memory, the command decode stage 1808 is configured to decode the one or more commands, and the address and mask generation stage 1810 is configured to generate one or more addresses and one or more masks for each of the commands.

In one implementation, the first stage 1802 is configured to selectively shift and mask data in each of several categories in response to a decoded command, and logically sum the selectively shifted and masked data in each of these several categories. In one example, this stage is implemented by selectively shifting the data in each of these several categories using one or more shifters 1814, 1816, 1818 as illustrated in FIG. 18, logically ANDing the shifted data with the associated masks in each of these several categories using one or more AND gates 1820, 1822, 1824, and then logically ORing the outputs of the respective AND dates 1820, 1822, 1824 using OR gate 1826.

In one implementation, the second stage 1804 is implemented through an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 1828 configured to selectively perform, in response to one or more decoded commands, an arithmetic operation on the logical sum as produced by the OR gate 1826 using data as retrieved from the data RAM 420 and provided to the ALU 1828 through one or more signal lines 1830.

In one embodiment, the ALU 1828 is also configured to execute one or more NOP (no operation) instructions when it is desired to pass the data from the first stage through the ALU without alteration.

In one embodiment, the TXMI field in the AFH pre-pended to the packet as illustrated in FIG. 2 is used to locate a TXM link stored in external transmit SRAM 412. The TXM link may be an internal TXM link or an external TXM link. An internal TXM link contains a recipe pointer to a block of up to 32 commands (which may be referred to as a recipe) as stored in internal recipe RAM 414, and up to two data pointers, each to a burst of up to 16 lines of data stored in external transmit SRAM 412. An external TXM link contains a recipe pointer to a block of up to 32 commands as stored in the external transmit SRAM 412, and up to two data pointers, each to a burst of up to 16 lines of data stored in external SRAM 412.

FIG. 19 illustrates one example of the format 1900 of a 72 bit external TXM link. In this example, bits 0-17 comprise a first data pointer to a first data burst of up to 16 line entries of data stored in external transmit SRAM 412, bits 18-21 specify the length of this first burst, bits 22-41 comprise a second data pointer to a second data burst of up to 16 line entries of data stored in external transmit SRAM 412, bits 42-45 specify the length of this second burst, bits 46-65 comprises a recipe pointer to a recipe of up to 32 commands stored in external transmit SRAM 412, bits 66-69 specify the length of this recipe, bit 70 is set to logical 0 to indicate that the link is an external TXM link, and bit 71 is a parity bit set.

FIG. 20 illustrates one example of the format 2000 of a 72 bit internal TXM link. In this example, bits 0-20 comprise a first data pointer to a first data burst of up to 32 line entries of data stored in external transmit SRAM 412, bits 21-25 specify the length of this first burst, bits 26-46 comprise a second data pointer to a second data burst of up to 32 line entries of data stored in external transmit SRAM 412, bits 47-51 specify the length of this second burst, bits 52-62 comprises a recipe index or pointer to a recipe of up to 32 commands stored in internal recipe RAM 414, bits 63-67 specify the length of this recipe, bits 68-69 are reserved, bit 70 is set to logical 1 to indicate that the link is an internal TXM link, and bit 71 is a parity bit.

In both examples, the first and second data bursts pointed to by a TXM link are concatenated to form one set of data/masks for use by the associated recipe.

FIG. 21A illustrates one example of the format 2100 of a data line entry as stored in external transmit SRAM 412. In order to conserve space in the SRAM 412, multiple data sets may be packed in a single data line entry in this example. Bits 0-31 comprise a first data set and bits 36-67 comprise a second data set, each of which may contain data, mask, or combined data and mask information. Bits 32-35 indicate the cumulative length (in terms of 8-bit bytes) of each of the data sets, which are assumed to be the same length. Bit 71 is a parity bit.

In one example, if a data set contains a data field and a related mask field, the data field must precede its related mask field. Also, the data field and its related mask field must be contained in the same data set, and cannot be split between two data sets. FIG. 21B illustrates two examples of possible data line entry formats.

FIG. 22 illustrates one example of the format 2200 of a recipe line entry as stored either in external transmit SRAM 412 or internal recipe RAM 414. In order to conserve space in the SRAM 412 and the internal recipe RAM 414, two commands may be packed into a single recipe line entry in this example. Bits 0-33 specify a first command, bits 34-35 are reserved, bits 36-69 optionally specify a second command, and bit 70 indicates whether the second command is valid (present) or not. Bit 71 is a parity bit.

FIG. 23 illustrates one example of the format 2300 of a recipe command. In this example, bits 0-5 are a byte count pertaining to the size of the operation. Bit 6 is a flag indicating whether the command is a replace or insert command. A replace command overwrites existing packet data, while an insert command inserts data into the packet without overwriting existing packet data. Bits 7-17 are a destination address in the packet, expressed in terms of a page (bit 17), context (bits 14-16), and offset (bits 7-13). Bits 18-28 are a source address in the packet, again, expressed in terms of a page (bit 28), context (bits 25-27), and offset (bits 18-24). Bits 29-33 are an operation code.

The context field in the source and destination addresses is a pointer to an encapsulated layer of the packet, and the page bit indicates whether the context pointer is within a first and second page of the packet. This concept of pages is intended to allow for the handling of nested packets, i.e., an inner packet which forms the payload portion of an outer packet. If the first page is specified, the context pointer is assumed to point to an encapsulated layer within the outer packet. If the second page is specified, the context pointer is assumed to point to an encapsulated layer within the inner packet. The offset field is an offset from the associated context pointer.

The expression of source and destination addresses in terms of page, context, and offsets allows for relative addressing of packet data. These relative addresses are resolved against a particular packet through parsing of the packet as performed by the parser 130. As described earlier, this parser analyzes the packet and outputs context pointers pointing to the beginning of the encapsulated layers of the packet. In the case of nested packets, the parser also provides a pointer to the beginning of the outer packet, i.e., the first page, and the inner packet, i.e., the second page. During execution of commands, the source and destination within the packet of the specified operation can be readily determined using the addresses expressed in terms of page, context, and offsets and the page and context pointers output by the parser.

FIG. 24 illustrates an example 2400 of the context pointers that might be produced by the parser 130, and that might appear in the source and destination addresses of a recipe command. In this particular example, the first context pointer (C0) points to the start of the packet, which is also the beginning of the AFH; the second context pointer (C1) points to the start of the MAC header; the third context pointer (C2) points to the start of the Ethertype field (if present); the fourth context pointer (C3) points to the start of the MPLS header (if present); the fifth context pointer (C4) points to the start of the layer three (L3) header; the sixth context pointer (C5) points to the start of the inner L3 header; and the seventh context pointer (C6) pointer to the start of the layer four (L4) TCP/UDP header.

FIG. 25 is a table illustrating the possible operation codes (op codes) in one example 2500 of a recipe command instruction set. In this example:

-   -   The TXM_CMD_NOP command, with an op code of 00000, is a NOP         command that burns a cycle of the modification engine 422, and         performs no operation.     -   The TXM_CMD_INSERT command, with an op code of 00001, is an         insert command that can insert up to 64 bytes of data into any         destination in the packet up to byte number 0x78.     -   The TXM_CMD_DELETE command, with an op code of 00010, is a         delete command, which deletes the number of bytes (up to 128)         specified in the length field starting at the source address. A         length field of zero means to delete all data in the packet up         to the end of the source specified context.     -   The TXM_CMD_REPLACE command, with an op code of 00011, is a         replace command, which can overwrite up to 64 bytes of data at         any destination location in the packet up to byte number 0x78.     -   The TXM_CMD_REPLACE_MASK command, with an op code of 00100, is a         replace mask command, which can overwrite up to 32 bits of data         that is masked with a 32-bit mask. The mask itself is located in         the external data set for the command (the data from SRAM 412         that is staged to RAM 420) after the data to be masked.     -   The TXM_CMD_COPY command, with an op code of 00101, is a copy         replace command that can overwrite up to 64 bits of data at any         destination location in the packet up to byte number 0x78 with         data supplied from any source location in the packet within the         first 0x78 bytes of the packet.     -   The TXM_COPY_MASK command, with an op code of 01000, is a copy         replace mask command that can overwrite up to 32 bits of data at         any destination location in the packet with data supplied from         any source location in the packet that is masked with a 32 bit         mask obtained from the external data set for the command after         the data field.     -   The TXM_CMD_COPY_INS command, with an op code of 00111, is a         copy insert command that can insert up to 64 bits of data at any         destination location in the packet up to byte number 0x78 with         data supplied from any source location in the packet up to byte         number 0x78.     -   The TXM_CMD_COPY_INS_MASK command, with an op code of 01000, is         a copy insert mask command that can insert up to 32 bits of data         at any destination location in the packet from any source         location in the packet. The inserted data is masked with a 32         bit mask obtained from the external data set for the command         after the data field.     -   The TXM_CMD_MACRO1 command, with an op code of 01001, is         actually the macro illustrated in FIG. 26. This macro performs         the following operation—replaces the MAC DA field in the packet         with 6 byes of data taken from the data set for the macro;         replaces the MAC SA field in the packet with 6 bytes of data         taken from the external data set for the command if the register         flag in the configuration register use_internal_mac_sa is set to         0; replaces the MAC SA field in the packet with 6 bytes of data         from an internal register specified by the source field of the         command (bits 0-15) if the register flag in the configuration         register use_internal_mac_sa is set to 1; deletes the VLAN field         if the VDEL flag is set to 1; and replaces the VLAN field with         data from the external data set associated with the macro if the         VDEL flag is set to 0.     -   The TXM_CMD_MACRO2 command, with an op code of 01010, is         actually the macro illustrated in FIG. 27. This macro performs         the following operation—replaces the MAC DA field in the packet         with 6 byes of data taken from the data set for the macro;         replaces the MAC SA field in the packet with 6 bytes of data         taken from the external data set for the command if the register         flag in the configuration register use_internal_mac_sa is set to         0; replaces the MAC SA field in the packet with 6 bytes of data         from an internal register specified by the source field of the         command (bits 0-15) if the register flag in the configuration         register use_internal_mac_sa is set to 1; deletes the VLAN field         if the VDEL flag is set to 1; and simply burns a cycle—by         converting the txmi_cmd_vlan_delete command to a bcm_cmd_nop—if         the VDEL flag is set to 0.     -   The TXM_INCREMENT_INSERT command, with an op code of 10000, is         an increment insert command that increments any field in the         packet and then inserts the incremented field in the packet         without overwriting the original field.     -   The TXM_INCREMENT_REPLACE command, with an op code of 10001, is         an increment replace command that increments any field in the         packet and then replaces the original field with the incremented         field.     -   The TXM_CMD_DECREMENT command, with an op code of 10010, is a         decrement command that decrements any field in the packet and         then replaces the original field with the decremented field.     -   The TXM_CMD_AND command, with an op code of 10010, is an ALU         command that logically ANDs up to 64 bytes of data from any         location in the packet with data from the external data set         associated with the command and stores the result in the TX work         buffer 436.     -   The TXM_CMD_OR command, with an op code of 10100, is an ALU         command that logically ORs up to 64 bytes of data from any         location in the packet with data from the external data set         associated with the command and stores the result in the TX work         buffer 436.     -   The TXM_CMD_XOR command, with an op code of 10101, is an ALU         command that logically XORs up to 64 bytes of data from any         location in the packet with data from the external data set         associated with the command and stores the result in the TX work         buffer 436.     -   The TXM_CMD_ADD command, with an op code of 10110, is an ALU         command that arithmetically adds up to 64 bytes of data from any         location in the packet with data from the external data set         associated with the command and stores the result in the TX work         buffer 436.     -   The TXM_CMD_SUB command, with an op code of 10111, is an ALU         command that arithmetically subtracts data from the external         data set associated with the command form up to 64 bytes of data         from any location in the packet and stores the result in the TX         work buffer 436.     -   The TXM_TTL_DECREMENT command, with an op code of 11000,         decrements and replaces the TTL field in the packet. The command         uses the multicast and broadcast flags as output from parser 130         to determine which TTL decrement limit to use according to the         pseudo code illustrated in FIG. 28. More specifically, according         to this pseudo code, three TTL limits are possible: a broadcast         TTL limit, a multicast TTL limit, and a unicast TTL limit. The         broadcast TTL limit is used if a broadcast packet is involved;         the multicast TTL limit if a multicast packet is involved; and         the unicast TTL limit if a unicast packet is involved. If the         TTL limit is reached, and TTL limit kill is enabled, the packet         is flagged, the reject bit is set in the fragment/burst         processor 442, and the MAC will kill the packet.     -   The TXM_TC_INCREMENT command, with an op code of 11001,         increments and replaces the TC field in the packet. The command         uses an increment limit to determine if the packet should be         killed according to the pseudo code illustrated in FIG. 29.         According to this pseudo code, if the TC limit is reached, the         packet kill flag is set, signaling the fragment/burst processor         442 to kill the packet.     -   The TXM_TTL_DECREMENT_INS command, with an op code of 11010, is         the same as the TXM_TTL_DECREMENT command except that, in lieu         of overwriting the original TTL field with the decremented TTL         field, this command inserts the decremented TTL field anywhere         within the packet.     -   The TXM_TC_INCREMENT_INS command, with an op code of 11011, is         the same as the TXM_TC_INCREMENT command except that, in lieu of         overwriting the original TC field with the incremented TC field,         this command inserts the incremented TC field anywhere within         the packet.

The remaining commands illustrated in FIG. 25 are either Access Control List commands (ACL) or Egress Mark Commands (EMC). The ACL commands are designed to pass certain information—VPORT and index control information—from the recipe to the Transmit ACL logic 454 for ACL processing. The EMC commands are designed to perform egress marking functions.

The format of the ACL commands is illustrated in FIG. 30 while the format of the EMC commands is illustrated in FIG. 31. The example instruction set of.

FIG. 25 provides the following ACL and EMC commands:

-   -   The TXM_CMD_ACL command, with an op code of 01101, provides         TX_ACL direct index (for use in accessing the egress ACL CAM         460) and virtual port (VPORT) information to the transmit ACL         logic 454 without burning a cycle of the modification engine         422.     -   The TXM_CMD_EMC_VPRI command, with an op code of 01110, controls         the VPRI and EXP modification behavior of the transmit post         processor block 452 without burning a cycle of the modification         engine 422.     -   The TXM_CMD_EMC_IPTOS command, with an op code of 01111,         controls the IPTOS modification behavior of the transmit post         processor block 452 without burning a cycle of the modification         engine 422.

FIG. 32 illustrates the exception conditions recognized in one embodiment of the modification engine 422 and the subsequent action taken.

Turning back to FIG. 18, in one implementation, the address and mask generation stage 1810 is configured to generate four pointers and associated masks during each command cycle. The first is a pointer to packet data containing the point at which an operation is to occur within the packet, (as stored in either TX work buffer 436 or Transmit In Data FIFO 428) and its associated mask. The second is a pointer to insertion data as stored in data RAM 420 and its associated mask, which is to be inserted into the packet. The third is a pointer to copy data (as stored in either TX work buffer 436 or Transmit In Data FIFO 428) and its associated mask, representing packet data to be copied from one portion of the packet to another. The fourth is a pointer to residual packet data, i.e., packet data succeeding the point at which at which an operation is to occur within the packet, (as stored in either TX work buffer 436 or Transmit In Data FIFO 428) and its associated mask. The data fetch stage 1812 then uses these pointer to retrieve the data in each of these four categories and their associated masks. The data shift, mask & sum stage 1802 masks (and shifts, as appropriate) the data in each of these four categories with their associated masks, and logically sums the masked data in each of the four categories. The ALU stage 1804 then performs an arithmetic or logical operation on this data as appropriate using data retrieved from data RAM 420, and stored the result in TX work buffer 436.

FIG. 33 illustrates this process in the context of an insertion operation. Numeral 3300 identifies an 8 byte segment of packet data containing the point 3304 at which an insertion operation is to occur. Numeral 3302 identifies a pointer to this packet segment. Numeral 3306 identifies the associated mask for the segment. Note that this mask is all logical 1s prior to the location 3304 at which the insertion operation is to occur, and all logical 0s after this point. Numerals 3308 and 3310 both identify the result of logically ANDing the mask with the data segment.

Numeral 3312 identifies an 8 byte segment containing the two bytes ‘aa bb’ to be inserted into the packet, and numeral 3314 identifies a pointer to this 8 byte segment. Numeral 3316 identifies the associated mask. Note that the mask is all logical 1s for the two bytes corresponding to the two bytes to be inserted, and all logical 0s otherwise. Numerals 3318 and 3320 both identify the result of logically ANDing the mask with the data segment.

Numeral 3322 identifies an 8 byte segment of copy data, and numeral 3330 identifies a pointer to this copy data. Numeral 3326 identifies the associated mask, which is all logical 0s because a copy operation is not assumed to be occurring. Numerals 3328 and 3330 both identify the result of logically ANDing the mask with the associated copy data. Again, because a copy operation is not assumed, the result is all logical 0s.

Numeral 3332 identifies an 8 byte segment of residual packet data, and numeral 3334 identifies a pointer to this segment. Note that this segment is the original 8 byte segment 3300 shifted to the right by two bytes to accommodate the insertion data ‘aa bb.’ Numeral 3336 identifies the associated mask. Note that this mask is all logical 1s for the two bytes of residual packet data to be retained at the far right, but is logical 0 otherwise. Numerals 3338 and 3340 identify the result of logically ANDing the mask with the associated segment.

Numeral 3342 is the result of logically ORing the masked data in each of the four categories. Note that it comprises the original 8 bytes segment with the two bytes ‘aa bb’ inserted at the location 3304.

FIG. 34 illustrates an example of a typical packet operation performed by executing a sequence of four commands. Numeral 3400 identifies the original packet with context pointers as produced by the parser 424 identifying the start of layers 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Numeral 3402 identifies the result of performing the first command: replacing the MAC DA with the next hop DA. Numeral 3404 identifies the result of performing the second command: replacing the MAC SA with the Router Address. Numeral 3406 identifies the result of performing the third command: replacing the VLAN with an Egress VLAN. Numeral 3408 identifies the result of performing the fourth command: decrementing the TTL field within the IP Header.

FIGS. 35-45 illustrate the commands or command sequences for performing several examples of common packet modification operations. FIG. 35 illustrates the commands for performing the following packet modification operations:

Next Hop MAC DA Replacement

Next Hop VLAN ID Replacement

Source Address Insertion

TTL Decrement IPv4

MPLS Stack Single Entry Add/Delete

MPLS Stack Double Entry Add/Delete

MPLS Label Change

MPLS TTL Decrement

MPLS TTL Copy

MPLS EtherType Replace/Restore

IPv4 Encapsulate/De-Encapsulate

FIGS. 36-45 illustrate the command sequences for the following modification operations:

FIG. 36—MAC Header Replacement (illustrated in FIG. 34)

FIG. 37—IPv4-in-IPv4 Encapsulation

FIG. 38—IPv4-in-IPv4 De-Encapsulation

FIG. 39—IPv6-in-IPv4 Encapsulation

FIG. 40—IPv6-in-IPv6 Encapsulation

FIG. 41—IPX Operation

FIG. 42—MPLS Stack Single Entry Add/Delete

FIG. 43—MPLS Stack Double Entry Add/Delete

FIG. 44—Single Entry MPLS Label Change

FIG. 45—Network Address Translation (NAT)

FIG. 46 is a flowchart of one embodiment 4600 of a method of performing one or more packet modifications in a programmable processor. In this embodiment, the method comprises step 4602, retrieving one or more commands, and step 4604, retrieving data and associated masks in each of a plurality of categories responsive to one or more decoded commands, the plurality of categories comprising packet data and other data.

The method further comprises step 4606, selectively shifting and masking the data in each of the plurality of categories responsive to one or more decoded commands, and step 4608, combining the selectively shifted and masked data in each of the categories.

In one implementation, the steps of the method are performed in a pipelined processor core. In one implementation example, the processor and processor core are implemented as an ASIC.

In one embodiment, the plurality of categories comprises packet data, insertion or replacement data, copy data, and residual packet data. In one example, at least one of the commands executed by the processor core specifies a source or destination address in terms of a packet context and offset. In a second example, at least one of the commands executed by the processor specifies a source or destination address in terms of a packet page, context and offset.

In one configuration, at least one of the commands executed by the processor is a copy/insert command for copying data from a first portion of the packet and inserting it at a position within a second portion of the packet. In a second configuration, at least one of the commands executed by the processor is a copy/replace command for copying data from a first portion of the packet and replacing data from a second portion of the packet with the data from the first portion of the packet.

FIG. 47 illustrates a processor readable medium 4702 storing one or more commands 4704 a, 4704 b, 4704 c, each of the commands within and conforming to a command instruction set 4706 for a packet data modification processor, such as but not limited to modification engine 422 of FIG. 4A. Examples of the processor readable medium 4702 comprise recipe RAM 418, external transmit SRAM 412 and internal recipe RAM 414.

In one embodiment, the command instruction set includes a first command 4708 that specifies inserting first data into a packet, without overwriting existing packet data, at a first packet address 4710 specified by the first command. In a second embodiment, the command instruction set includes a second command 4712 that specifies inserting second data into a packet, by overwriting existing packet data, at a second packet address 47-13 specified by the second command.

In one embodiment, the command instruction set 4706 has a format in which a packet address, if present, is specified in terms of a first portion representing an encapsulated layer of the packet and a second portion representing a location within that encapsulated layer. Thus, consistent with this format, the first packet address 4710 has a first portion 4710 a representing an encapsulated layer of the packet and a second portion 4710 b representing a location within the encapsulated layer. Similarly, the second packet address 4713 has a first portion 4713 a representing an encapsulated layer of the packet and a second portion 4713 b representing a location within the encapsulated layer.

FIG. 48 illustrates an embodiment in which a first packet 4802 has a header portion 4802 a and a payload portion 4802 b, and the payload portion 4802 b of the second packet comprises a second packet 4804, the second packet 4804 having a header portion 4804 a and a payload portion 4804 b. In this embodiment, the command instruction set has a format in which a packet address, if present, is specified in terms of a first portion representing a selected page within the first packet, the selected page specifying either the header portion of the first packet or the header portion of the second packet, a second portion representing an encapsulated layer within the selected page, and a third portion representing a location within that encapsulated layer.

With reference to FIG. 47, in one embodiment, represented by the TXM_CMD_COPY_INS_MASK command of FIG. 25, the first command 4708 specifies masking the first data before insertion thereof into the packet. In one implementation, the first command 4708 specifies masking the first data with a first mask obtained from a data set associated with but external to the first command. In a second embodiment, represented by the TXM_CMD_INSERT command in FIG. 25, the first command specifies obtaining the first data from a data set associated with but external to the command.

In another embodiment, represented by the TXM_CMD_COPY_INS command of FIG. 25, the first command 4708 specifies obtaining the first data from the packet at a first packet source address specified by the first command and inserting it into the packet, without overwriting existing packet data, at a first packet destination address specified by the first command. In one example of this embodiment, the first packet source and destination addresses are different.

In a third embodiment, represented by the TXM_CMD_INCREMENT_INSERT command of FIG. 25, the first command 4708 specifies obtaining the first data from the packet at a first packet address specified by the first command, modifying the first data, and inserting the modified first data into the packet, without overwriting existing packet data, at the first packet address. In one example of this embodiment, the first command 4708 specifies modifying the first data by incrementing it. In a second example of this embodiment, the first command 4708 specifies modifying the first data by decrementing it.

In a fourth embodiment, represented by the TXM_CMD_REPLACE_MASK command of FIG. 25, the second command 4712 specifies masking the second data before insertion thereof into the packet. In one example of this embodiment, the second command 4712 specifies masking the second data with a second mask obtained from a data set associated with but external to the second command.

In a fifth embodiment, represented by the TXM_CMD_REPLACE command of FIG. 25, the second command 4712 specifies obtaining the second data from a data set associated with but external to the command.

In a sixth embodiment, represented by the TXM_CMD_COPY command of FIG. 25, the second command 4712 specifies obtaining the second data from the packet at a second packet source address specified by the second command and inserting it into the packet, by overwriting existing packet data, at a second packet destination address specified by the second command. In one example of this embodiment, the second packet source and destination addresses are different.

In a seventh embodiment, the command instruction set includes a third command 4714 specifying obtaining packet data from a third packet address specified by the third command, performing a logical or arithmetic operation on this packet data to obtain modified packet data, and replacing the packet data with the modified packet data.

In one example, represented by the TXM_CMD_AND, _OR, _XOR, _ADD, _SUB, _INCREMENT_REPLACE, and _DECREMENT commands of FIG. 25, the third command 4714 specifies a logical or arithmetic operation selected from the group comprising: the logical AND of the packet data and third data from a data set associated with but external to the third command, the logical OR of the packet and third data, the logical XOR of the packet and third data, the arithmetic addition of the packet and third data, the arithmetic subtraction of the third data from the packet data, the incrementing of the packet data, and the decrementing of the packet data.

In an eighth embodiment, represented by the TXM_CMD_MACRO1, _MACRO2, _TTL_DECREMENT, _TTL_DECREMENT_INS, _TC_INCREMENT, and TC_INCREMENT_INS commands of FIG. 25, the command instruction set 4706 includes at least fourth command 4716 comprising a command or macro selected from the group comprising: a replace MAC DA/replace MAC SA/replace VLAN macro, a replace MAC DA/replace MAC SA/strip VLAN macro, a TTL decrement command, and a TC increment command.

A ninth embodiment comprises any combination of the foregoing eight embodiments, implementations and examples thereof which have been illustrated or described.

FIG. 49 is a block diagram of an embodiment 4900 of a processor readable medium 4902 storing a data structure 4904 for supporting one or more packet modification operations. In this embodiment, the data structure 4904 comprises a pointer 4906 to a sequence 4910 of one or more commands implementing one or more packet modification operations and stored in a first memory area 4912, and a pointer 4908 to a burst 4914 of one or more data or mask items for use by the one or more commands and stored in a second memory area 4916 distinct from the first.

In one implementation, the data structure 4904 is generated during receive-side classification processing of a packet. In a second implementation, the data structure 4904 is generated by a host CPU coupled to the switch fabric.

In one implementation of this embodiment, the first and second memory areas 4912, 4916 are located in different memories. An example format of the data structure in this implementation is illustrated in FIG. 19. In this example, the first memory area is located in internal recipe RAM 414 and the second memory area is located in external SRAM 412. In another implementation of this embodiment, the first and second memory areas 4912, 4916 are located in distinct portions of the same memory. An example format of the data structure in this implementation is illustrated in FIG. 20. In this example, the first and second memory areas are located in external SRAM 412.

In one implementation example, the one or more commands are stored in a packed format such as illustrated in FIG. 21A. In this or another implementation example, the one or more data or mask items are stored in a packed format such as illustrated in FIG. 22. In yet another implementation example, illustrated in FIG. 21B, the one or more data or mask items comprise data items and associated mask items, with a data item stored adjacent to its associated mask item.

In one implementation, the first and second memory areas 4912, 4916 are both located in a memory implemented off chip from a modification processor configured to execute the one or more commands. In one example of this implementation, the first and second memory areas 4912, 4916 are both located in external SRAM 412, which is implemented off-chip from the modification engine 422.

In a second implementation, first memory area 4912 is located in a memory implemented on-chip with a modification processor configured to execute the one more commands. In one example of this implementation, the first memory area 4912 is located in internal recipe RAM 414, which is implemented on-chip with the modification engine 422.

In one embodiment, the data structure 4902 comprises one or more pointers, each to a sequence of one or more commands implementing one or more packet modification operations. In another embodiment, the data structure 4902 comprises one or more pointers, each to a burst of one or more data or mask items. FIGS. 19 and 20 both represent examples of this embodiment.

FIG. 50 illustrates an example in which transmit modification index 5002, stored with the AFH of a packet, points to an transmit modification link, such as illustrated in FIG. 19 or 20, stored within external SRAM 412. In the case in which the transmit modification link is the external link illustrated in FIG. 19, the link comprises a pointer 5006 to one or more commands 5012 stored in the external SRAM 412, a pointer 5008 to a data set 5014 of one or more data or mask items stored in the external SRAM 412, and a pointer 5010 to a data set 5016 of one or more data or mask items stored in the external SRAM 412. The one or more commands 5012 conform to the packed format illustrated in FIG. 22. Each of the data sets 5014, 5016 conform to the packed format illustrated in FIGS. 21A and 21B.

In the case in which the transmit modification link is the internal link illustrated in FIG. 20, the link comprises a pointer 5018 to one or more commands 5024 stored in the internal recipe RAM 414, a pointer 5020 to a data set 5028 of one or more data or mask items stored in the external SRAM 412, and a pointer 5022 to a data set 5026 of one or more data or mask items stored in the external SRAM 412. The one or more commands 5024 conform to the packed format illustrated in FIG. 22. Each of the data sets 5026, 5028 conform to the packed format illustrated in FIGS. 21A and 21B.

FIG. 51 is a flowchart of an embodiment 5100 of a method of performing one or more packet modification operations on a packet while located within a first portion of a switch. In this embodiment, the packet includes a data structure index previously added while the packet was located within a second portion of the switch.

In this method, step 5102 comprises retrieving from a memory a data structure corresponding to the data structure index. As illustrated in FIG. 49, the data structure 4904 comprises a pointer 4906 to a sequence 4910 of one or more commands implementing one or more packet modification operations and stored in a first memory area 4912, and a pointer 4908 to a burst 4914 of one or more data or mask items for use by the one or more commands and stored in a second memory area 4916 distinct from the first.

Turning back to FIG. 51, step 5104 comprises retrieving from the first memory area 4912 the one or more commands 4910. Step 5106 comprises retrieving from the second memory area 4916 the one or more data or mask items 4914 for use by the one or more commands 4910.

Step 5108 comprises executing the one or more commands, possibly after staging the same to a different memory, thereby performing one or more packet modification operations on the packet.

In one implementation, the first and second memory areas are located in the same memory. In one example of this implementation, the memory is implemented off-chip from the packet modification processor executing the one or more commands. In another implementation, the first and second memory areas are located in different memories. In one example of this implementation, the first memory area is implemented on-chip with the packet modification processor executing the one or more commands.

In one implementation example, the one or more commands are stored in a packed format. In another implementation example, the one or more data or mask items are stored in a packed format.

In one configuration, the one or more data or mask items comprise data items and associated mask items, with a data item stored adjacent to its associated mask item.

In one example, the data structure 4902 comprises one or more pointers, each to a sequence of one or more commands implementing one or more packet modification operations. In another example, the data structure 4902 comprises one or more pointers, each to a burst of one or more data or mask items stored in the first memory.

FIG. 52 illustrates an example environment for operation of the method. As illustrated in FIG. 52, switching system 5200 comprises a switch front end 5202 coupled to a switch core 5204 which in turn is coupled to switch fabric 5210. The switch core 5204 comprises a first portion 5206 and a second portion 5208. The second portion 5208 includes a packet modification processor, such as modification engine 422, internal recipe RAM 414, and external SRAM 412. In one example, the internal recipe RAM 414 is located on-chip with the packet modification processor while the external SRAM 412 is located off-chip from the packet modification processor.

In this example environment, the switch front end 5202 provides the interface to a network. In one example, the switch front end 5202 is a front panel MAC controller, the first portion 5206 of the switch core 5204 is an ingress or receive portion of the switch, and the second portion 5208 of the switch core 5204 is an egress or transmit portion of the switch. In this example, the first portion 5206 comprises an implementation of the packet classification system 102 of FIG. 1, and the second portion 5208 comprises an implementation of the packet modification system 104 of FIG. 1. In this example, a packet is received over a network by the switch front end 5202, and forwarded to the first portion 5206 of the switch core 5204. While in this first portion 5206, the packet is classified, and in one implementation, an AFH, such as illustrated in FIG. 2, with the resulting classification and forwarding information included, is pre-pended to the packet. One of the fields in this AFH is the transmit modification index (TXMI).

The packet then passes through the switch fabric 5210 and is received by the second portion 5208 of the switch core 5204. While in the switch core, the method of FIG. 19 is performed. In one example of this method, the TXMI from the packet header is used to access a transmit modification link stored in external SRAM 412. The transmit modification link may be the external link illustrated in FIG. 19 or the internal link illustrated in FIG. 20.

If the external link, the one or more commands and one or more data sets associated with the commands are retrieved from the external SRAM 412 and then the one or more commands are executed by the packet modification processor after the commands have been staged to recipe RAM 418 and the data sets have been staged to data RAM 420.

If the internal link, the one or more commands are retrieved from internal recipe RAM 414 and the one or more data sets associated with the commands are retrieved from external SRAM 412 and then the one or more commands are executed by the packet modification processor after the commands have been staged to recipe RAM 418 and the data sets have been staged to data RAM 420.

While various embodiments, implementations and examples of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments, implementations and examples are possible that are within the scope of this invention. 

1. A non-transitory processor readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor in a switch, cause the switch to perform a method for implementing one or more packet modification operations on a packet received at the switch, wherein the method comprises: associating a data structure link with the packet received at the switch by inserting a data structure index corresponding to the data structure link into a header of the packet; retrieving a data structure from memory of the switch via the data structure link associated with the packet, wherein the data structure comprises: a first pointer to a sequence of commands for execution by a processor of the switch to implement the one or more packet modification operations stored in packed format with more than one command stored in a single addressable entry in a sequence in a first memory area of the memory, and a second pointer to a burst of data or mask items stored in packed format with more than one data or mask item stored in a single addressable entry in the stored burst in a second memory area of the memory distinct from the first memory area, the burst of data or mask items for use by the processor in executing the one or more commands; retrieving the commands in the sequence from the first memory area via the first pointer; retrieving the data or mask items in the burst from the second memory area via the second pointer; and performing one or more packet modification operations on the packet by executing the commands in the sequence via the processor using the burst of data or mask items as operands or masks for operands in the one or more packet modification operations performed.
 2. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 1 wherein the first and second memory areas are located in different memories.
 3. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 1 wherein the first and second memory areas are located in the same memory.
 4. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 1 wherein the data or mask items comprise data items and associated mask items, with a data item stored adjacent to its associated mask item.
 5. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 1 wherein the first and second memory areas are located in a memory implemented off chip in relation to the processor.
 6. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 1 wherein the first memory area is located in a memory implemented on chip in relation to the processor.
 7. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 1 wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of pointers, each to a sequence of commands implementing one or more packet modification operations.
 8. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 7 wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of pointers, each to a burst of data or mask items.
 9. A method within a switch for performing one or more packet modification operations on a packet received at the switch, wherein the method comprises: associating a data structure link with the packet received at the switch by inserting a data structure index corresponding to the data structure link into a header of the packet; retrieving a data structure from memory of the switch via the data structure link associated with the packet, wherein the data structure comprises: a first pointer to a sequence of commands for execution by a processor of the switch to implement the one or more packet modification operations stored in packed format with more than one command stored in a single addressable entry in a sequence in a first memory area of the memory, and a second pointer to a burst of data or mask items stored in packed format with more than one data or mask item stored in a single addressable entry in the stored burst in a second memory area of the memory distinct from the first memory area, the burst of data or mask items for use by the processor in executing the one or more commands; retrieving the commands in the sequence from the first memory area via the first pointer; retrieving the data or mask items in the burst from the second memory area via the second pointer; and performing one or more packet modification operations on the packet by executing the commands in the sequence via the processor using the burst of data or mask items as operands or masks for operands in the one or more packet modification operations performed.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first and second memory areas are: located in different and distinct physical memories; located in distinct portions of a same physical memory; located in an internal recipe RAM (Random Access Memory) and an external SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) respectively; located in a memory implemented off-chip from a modification processor to execute the sequence of commands; or located in a memory implemented on-chip with the modification processor to execute the sequence of commands.
 11. The method of claim 9 wherein the data or mask items in the burst comprise data items and associated mask items, with a data item stored adjacent to its associated mask item.
 12. The method of claim 9 wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of pointers, each to a sequence of commands implementing one or more packet modification operations.
 13. The method of claim 9 wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of pointers, each to a burst of data or mask items.
 14. A packet modification system comprising: an associator to associate a data structure link with a packet received at the packet modification system by inserting a data structure index corresponding to the data structure link into a header of the packet; a physical memory to store a data structure comprising: a first pointer to a sequence of commands implementing one or more packet modification operations and stored in a first memory area of the physical memory in packed format with more than one command stored in a single addressable entry in the stored sequence, and a second pointer to a burst of data or mask items stored in a second memory area of the physical memory distinct from the first memory area in packed format with more than one data or mask item stored in a single addressable entry in the stored burst; and a processor to: retrieve the commands in the sequence from the first memory area via the first pointer; retrieve the data or mask items in the burst from the second memory area via the second pointer, and execute the commands in the sequence using the burst of data or mask items as operands or masks for operands in the one or more packet modification operations.
 15. The system of claim 14 wherein the first and second memory areas are located in different memories.
 16. The system of claim 14 wherein the first and second memory areas are located in the same physical memory.
 17. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor comprises a pipeline processor core to retrieve the commands in the sequence in a first stage, and execute the commands in the sequence in one or more subsequent stages. 